This work by American social critic H.L. Mencken contains brief mini-essays on a wide variety of subjects. While Mencken has been called many things: cynic, misanthrope and elitist, there is no doubt that he was funny. The mini-essay form (with pieces only a few sentences long) shows that Mencken's wit sparkled best in the shortest prose. Modern readers should know, however, that some of Mencken's writing can seem out of date, especially concerning gender and race.